I'm sorry, but I'm really not loving the clean-up sink wall. If you're of typical adult height, it seems very out of proportion. Of course, if you're much shorter than average, practical considerations might outweigh design there, but to me, it looks like the whole bank of uppers should just be raised up to the ceiling (or 8' if your ceiling's sloped), leaving either an open space, a 'window' or a full backsplash wall. Other than that, I think liberal use of an accent color could do wonders for your space. My personal favorite is a rich vibrant red, but for your space, a deep golden yellow might bring out the blue in the granite and the warm tones in your beautiful cherry. I wouldn't bother changing the knobs because I think that will actually work against 'feminizing' the space. You'd be replacing a light brushed nickel tone with a darker ORB -- you wouldn't even see the flower pattern until you get way up close. The materials Hubby chose tend to the 'dramatic' -- hard, shiny, high-contrast. So to feminize, typical things like soft, hazy, lacey or frilly just wouldn't play nicely. Think of a 'masculine-looking actress' -- say, Angie Harmon or Angelica Huston? -- dressed in pastels with lace and ruffles. Yuck! But something bold, clean-lined, flashy even -- Possibly large cut crystal pieces, art glass, brightly-colored ceramics in sleek shapes?

Sounds like you've gotten some great ideas. Here are a few more sites to check out: BMX mural http://www.lelandswallpaper.com/images/BR-75039C(large).jpg BMX black decal http://cgi.ebay.com/Wall-Mural%2FWall-Decal%2FBMX%2FBike%2FExtreme-Sports_W0QQitemZ320385268408QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20090617?IMSfp=TL090617187004r30320 Scroll down to the BMX decal (looks like you can choose the 2 colors used in this decal): http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18553777 2 BMX bicycle scene choices: http://www.stevesblindsandwallpaper.com/1/3/bmx-scene-mural Also, search ebay under Home & Garden-> Inside the Home-> Home Decor & Accents->Wall Decor->Decals, Stickers & Vinyl Please be sure and post some before and after pics when you're done. I'm glad your son is getting excited, too, about his room makeover :-)

OK, the ceiling is about halfway down and the wood is not coming down without a fight. The contractors are being as careful as they can be, but still the wood is cracking and chipping. I could try glueing and puttying it back together, but at this point I'm thinking that painting is going to be easier and much less risky. And as far as the fireplace wall goes, Les, I almost always agree with everything you say but the photos don't really capture the true hideousness of the color. There's some kind of varnish over the top so I can't even restain because it won't take. Also, there are many cracks and gaps in the fireplace paneling that allow cold air in - part of the reason for painting that wall was so I could caulk the heck out of those gaps without the caulk being noticeable. (I used clear caulk on some of the biggest cracks a few years ago but it is very noticeable since the caulk is shiny.) The guy that built this house was apparently striving for authenticity, right down to the draftiness and lack of insulation of a 200 year old farmhouse. So, assuming that I'm going to paint both the ceiling and the fireplace wall, what are your opinions? I was thinking of choosing a colonial color and going for the look like in the links that reeree posted. The only thing is that I don't want to commit to colored trim throughout the house - I don't mind it in this room, but would have trouble figuring out where to transition it back to white. I could easily do the baseboards dark in that room without a problem, and could do the windows as well, but could not do the posts or the trim at the top of the stone half wall without connecting directly a room with white trim. So actually, I was thinking of a dark dark reddish brown - something like BM's hadley red or townsend harbor brown. I was thinking of putting it on both the ceilng and fireplace wall. But I'm worried that this will look too imposing, especially if the rest of the trim is white and the walls are light. I do like the look of the blue and green as well, but after 10 years of blue sofas, I'm a bit sick of blue. The green is pretty but since I have no idea what color I'll end up with as far as sofas and rugs go, I hate to commit to a definitely color - I'd rather stay neutral. I was also thinking of a dark gold color like BM Livingston Gold, Blair Gold, Summerdale Gold, or Yorkshire Tan. I think I'd rather stay away from painting the ceiling white because of the soot/dust from the stove. We have another beamed ceiling in our breakfast area that is painted white and it looks kind of blah. I'm considering rehanging only every other beam to keep the ceiling less busy. It is a small room, maybe 13 x 15 (in fact, when I'm ready to ditch the blue sofas, I'm going to be posting for room layout help - it's such an oddly laid out room that I can't figure out what type of furniture I even need in there!). But because the room is open to the kitchen and foyer (where the photos are taken from) and because the ceilings are high (they are about 10.5 ft) the room doesn't feel claustrophobic, so I'm not afraid to put a dark color back on the ceiling. So at any rate, assuming we're painting the ceiling, beams, and fireplace wall (and assuming the walls are going to be a yellow-ish cream), what colors would you suggest? What about the baseboards and windows? Thanks for all the advice!

"Best trees to plant near swimming pools" https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A86.J7vUD0dYXUUAr5cPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTBzdHZpaXZrBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNyZWw-?p=best+trees+to+plant+near+swimming+pools&type=osf01s1&hspart=avast&hsimp=yhs-brwsr001&ei=UTF-8&fr2=rs-top&fr=yhs-avast-brwsr001 10 Messy Plants You Don't Want Near The Pool When it's time for the acacia to release its flower clusters, they spread—all over your yard and into your pool. If you must have an acacia, plant it in the front yard and hope a mighty wind doesn't blow around the time of pod and flower drop. "The little tiny flowers [of Crape Myrtle] fill the pool surface with brightly colored debris. It clogs the skimmers and when it sinks it's so small a pressure-side cleaner won't pick it up most of the time," says Brian Alan Shirley, owner of Abracadabra Pool Technologies in the Decatur, Georgia, region http://poolandpatio.about.com/od/patiolandsaping/ss/10-Messy-Plants-You-Dont-Want-Near-the-Pool.htm